The 54-year-old was removed as head of the search engine giant after just four months when it was learned he padded his resume by claiming to have earned a computer science degree from Stonehill College, where he actually obtained a degree in accounting.

Initially, Thompson said he was not responsible for the discrepancy on his resume that was first pointed out by activist shareholder group Third Point.

Before being forced out of his job, Thompson told Yahoo’s board he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and is now seeking treatment.

People familiar with the situation say that Thompson’s health issues hastened his decision to leave the company.

Thompson took over for several months after Carol Bartz was fired as Yahoo CEO over the phone. For now, Yahoo media chief Ross Levinsohn will step into the CEO role until a permanent successor is named.﻿